William Chapman, the 23-year-old who died after entering the tiger enclosure at Yorkshire Wildlife Park on Saturday, October 10, had suffered from "significant mental illness over a number of years" and had been prescribed "strong medication", his family has said.
On the afternoon of the incident, visitors watched in horror as the young man "jumped 12ft" into the enclosure. Distressing footage, which the Mirror has chosen not to share, shows William filming himself approaching Altai, a 30st (200kg) Amur tiger. The big cat circled William, pawing at him as if in play, before pouncing.
One onlooker told the Mirror: "It was quite bad. We were just stood there, frozen... the last thing we saw was the tiger's jaw on his neck." Rangers fired warning shots and used gas-powered acoustic guns to scare Altai away, but William was pronounced dead at the scene.
Family statement and plea
In a statement, William's family shared: "William was a bright, warm and engaging young man whom his family dearly loved – and William loved them back. Sadly, William suffered from significant mental illness over a number of years and was consequently prescribed strong medication."
The family also pleaded with people to stop posting "deeply offensive media content" of William in the Land of Tigers enclosure, which has been shared by US President Donald Trump with the caption "Don't ever mess with nature!". They said the publication and circulation of such content is causing them "severe distress at an exceptionally vulnerable time".
The family added: "The family are hopeful that the relevant authorities will do their utmost to get to the bottom of why our amazing son did what he did. It will be for the coroner to decide what part this played in his death. We would ask everybody to respect that process."
Child acting career
William's acting career included a starring role in the ITV production May Contain Nuts alongside Shirley Henderson, known for playing Moaning Myrtle in the Harry Potter franchise, and playing vaccination pioneer Edward Jenner as a youngster in the BBC series True Stories.
His mother, in a blog post written over 12 years ago, shared how her son was "passionate about acting and drama" and described his audition for May Contain Nuts, where he appeared "unburdened by the nerves he can sometimes suffer from these days". She also noted that working as an extra on Pan, a Peter Pan prequel starring Hugh Jackman, had been a "wonderful experience for him".
William was a former student of High Wycombe's Jackie Palmer Stage School, which paid tribute to him, saying: "We are deeply saddened to hear of the passing of our former student, William Chapman. Our thoughts and heartfelt condolences are with William’s family and friends during this incredibly difficult time."
Final Instagram posts and investigation
In the days before his death, William posted various pictures and videos to Instagram, including a gym selfie and an image showing him holding a bible with a crossbow bolt between his teeth, taken on the day he died. He gained entry to the two-acre enclosure from a 300m-long raised viewing platform where approximately 20 people were standing.
Eyewitness Del Taylor, who took William's final photos, shared an emotional plea on TikTok, urging trolls to "think about why maybe he'd do something like this". She said: "I've seen a lot of speculation online about this person, this man, and a lot of it is not very nice, very presumptuous."
The City of Doncaster Council has launched a health and safety investigation into William's death. Yorkshire Wildlife Park remains closed for the fifth day, with its website stating the zoo is "working closely with the authorities". The park has confirmed that Altai the tiger is safe and well and will not be euthanised. South Yorkshire police have passed a file on the incident to the Doncaster Coroner's Court.
